Did the disciples receive the Holy Spirit twice?

[fisherman_carl]

In John 20:22, Jesus breathes on the apostles and says “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit descends. Can someone elaborate on these two Holy Spirit receptions?

 

[QNDNNDQDCE]

I am not sure that there is only one admissible interpretation of these passages, but I think the fundamental mistake is assuming that the sending and receiving of the Holy Spirit means exactly the same thing in all places. The Holy Spirit has more than just one single operation.

 

[patrick457]

In John 20:22, Jesus breathes on the apostles and says “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit descends. Can someone elaborate on these two Holy Spirit receptions?

You might want to make that three times. John also seems to imply that Jesus sent the Spirit when He “gave up the spirit” at Calvary.

 

[JonathonofOhio]

John 7:37-39 states that the Holy Spirit was not given until Jesus was glorified…in the sense that it was not given in a solemn manner as on the day of Pentecost when they were given all spiritual gifts and graces. In John 20:22 they received power to forgive sins…St. Chrysostom and St. Cyril of Alexandria both state that they received some portion of spiritual grace that gave them the power to forgive sins. It should also be pointed out that the just, at all times, from the beginning of the world, were sanctified by the grace of the Holy Ghost (From Haydock’s Bible Commentary 1859 edition).